NFL
Philadelphia Eagles vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview
Date: Sunday, September 16, 2018
Time: 1:00 pm Eastern Time
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL
Team Records:
Philadelphia Eagles 1-0-0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1-0-0
Battle of the Backups: Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles Take on Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Eagles and Buccaneers left week one with victories. Their performances, however, were anything but similar. While the Eagles couldn’t find an offensive rhythm, the Buccaneers ran 62 plays for 529 yards resulting in 48 points. Both teams come into week two still without their starting quarterbacks. The Buccaneers’ Jameis Winston is serving a three-game suspension that was handed down back in June by the NFL after an Uber driver accused him of sexual assault. The Eagles’ Carson Wentz has yet to be medically cleared to play after suffering an ACL tear last season. The Birds and Bucs will be handing their playbooks to Nick Foles and Ryan Fitzpatrick respectively.
Keys to the Game
Lockdown Eagles Defense vs Explosive Buccaneers Offense
Philadelphia’s defensive performance against Atlanta in week one was nothing short of Super Bowl caliber. They denied the Falcons four out of five times in the Red Zone and let them convert on just four 3rd downs throughout the game. The Buccaneers, on the other hand, ran for 112 yards and threw for 417 against a tough Saints’ defense. They moved the chains well (8-13 on 3rd down) and didn’t turn the ball over once. The offensive campaign was led by the backup QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick who ended the night with a 156.3 QB rating.
Fitzpatrick will not have such ease throwing the ball this Sunday. The Eagles’ pass rush has proven dominant even over the elite offensive lines in the league, which Tampa Bay’s is not. The Bucs’ running game struggled at times against the Saints and can only expect a stronger opposition this Sunday from the Eagles’ front seven. This pressure in the backfield could leave Tampa Bay with short drives and at serious turnover risk. If Philadelphia can win the battle of the line and consistently pressure the pocket and ball carrier, the Buccaneers won’t be able to develop an offensive rhythm early. This will keep the game’s momentum in the Eagles favor.
If the Bucs’ O-line can give Fitzpatrick enough time in the pocket, the Eagles’ secondary could be in trouble. The Falcons were able to exploit Eagles’ cornerback Jalen Mills’ speed and ability to cover wide receivers downfield. If Desean Jackson is active, both him and fellow WR Mike Evans could burn the Eagles’ defense for a lot of yards on big plays. These big plays could be the difference makers if Foles and the Eagles’ offense can’t find the end zone. The Buccaneers’ electric performance led by Fitzpatrick last week will almost certainly slump on Sunday however they are not to be written off.
Eagles’ Running Game
The Eagles struggled to successfully run the ball in week one. RB1 Jay Ajayi’s status likely kept head coach Doug Pederson from giving him an influx of carries in the first half. The Birds ended the game with 113 rushing yards on 27 carries, a dip from their performance last year. If Nick Foles’ continues to struggle, the Eagles will need to be able to rely on their running game. If the Eagles can feed Ajayi and Corey Clement the ball, it will take pressure off Foles but in the pocket and on the scoreboard.
Tampa Bay only allowed 43 rushing yards (on just 13 carries) against Alvin Kamara and the Saints. This is a stark improvement from their 10th worst run-defense last year. While the Saints relied much more on the aerial attack, the Eagles will need to establish a running game early against the Bucs’ front seven.
Nick Foles
Unlike their run-defense, Tampa Bay’s pass defense was horrendous. The Saints had 37 receptions off 42 targets for 439 yards. Last year the Bucs were ranked last in the league for passing yards allowed. This could be the perfect secondary for Foles to get his rhythm back despite that this might be his last week as starting QB for the Eagles. Foles only threw for 132 yards last week; only three receivers caught more than one pass from him. Foles will need to be able to settle in the pocket, survey the field, and spread the targets around. If Foles plays like he did last week, barring an unstoppable performance by Ajayi, the Eagles will be in trouble of slipping to 1-1.
Fantasy Implications
Tampa Bay’s weak secondary should allow for players like Eagles WR Nelson Agholor and TE Zach Ertz to have a big game. Ajayi will likely not post as many fantasy points as his health is still of some concern to the franchise. Look for RB’s Clement and Sproles to see more touches. WR Mike Wallace scored zero fantasy points last week; he can only go up from that performance however he should probably remain on your bench depending on your WR core. Mike Evans should have a huge game against the Eagles’ secondary. Bucs’ TE O.J. Howard is a fantasy darkhorse for this matchup. If he’s available, pick him up.
Follow Lauren on Twitter @LaurenP_52
Photo credit to Sagor Ahmed via Flickr
